2008 Test of MetalPress releaseRiders can grade themselves before this year's Test

North Shore Credit Union Test of Metal organizer Cliff Miller announced this week that a selfseeding starting chute will be used for this year's race.

Organizers will be sectioning the starting chute into 30 minute time intervals and allowing racers to load themselves according to their anticipated finishing time.

I don't think that the guy coming in at 5 hours wants to be starting next to the guy finishing in 3 hours, and I certainly know that the opposite is true, Miller said.

The change comes from surveys of riders, and it is another effort by the TOM organizers to improve the experience for the riders.

We've tried loading on a first-come, first-served basis, and we've waited until 30 minutes before the race to load everyone at once, and that can be a bit of a gong show. We're hoping that by selfseeding, the majority of racers will find themselves with comparable riders earlier in the race and have a better experience, Miller said.

Miller also announced that in addition to the 10 primes on the course, the top 5 men and top 5 women overall will each win a cash prize: $250 for 1st place, $150 for 2nd, $100 for 3rd, $75 for 4th, and $50 for 5th.

If someone leads tape-to-tape, he or she could take home $1250. That's not bad for a Saturday afternoon bike ride, Miller said.

The Test of Metal, the most successful crosscountry mountain bike in Canada, has sold out for the last 11 years.

Over 800 riders are anticipated to be at the starting line for this year's race.